I woke up this morning to the news of UFC 168. Usually I don’t pay much attention to bloodsports as I’ve never seen the appeal.
However, I have some friends who were stoked about this particular fight. Don’t ask me why, I don’t really know why. Anyway, this morning the news is that Anderson Silva, one of the fighters from last UFC 168 lost because he ended up breaking his leg.
I’ve gotta wonder about a society that not only condones such “sports” but actively encourages and supports such events.
The psychology of men (mostly) that find such sport entertaining is fascinating to me. I think it helps them feel like they’re strong, tough guys, vicariously. Most of them, the spectators, aren’t. I’m not a tough guy. I know that, and I’m okay with it.
But just watching two men bash each other about doesn’t make you a tough guy either. All it does is stoke the darker emotions within the human heart. And we don’t need more of that. What we need more of is compassion, empathy and kindness. Bloodsports inculcate none of those more uplifting ideals or feelings within us.
And vegans shouldn’t support bloodsports. Why? For a variety of reasons, but largely, the ethics of veganism is about eliminating the suffering of others to as large an extent as is possible through out own actions.
Now I understand that two men stepping into the ring are using free will. Neither of them are being forced in there. But it is my belief that the tolerance, nay the celebration of violence in whatever form is detrimental to the evolution of the human spirit. And it is the human spirit we are trying to lift up.
One thing I know from experience, violence shows no favors. What I mean by this is that violent behavior is not discriminatory. Those with a propensity towards violent do not often limit to specific sex, species or situations.
Two thousand years ago the Roman gladiators were fighting for their lives in the rings. Many of them now willingly. Today we have a similar sport but the participants are willing. I don’t see much improvement in the human condition in these 2,000 years.
I am not suggesting that violence is never necessary. But the promotion and celebration of violence as entertainment should not be supported or encouraged by vegans. The world needs less violence, not more. And so long as we are beating each other about, we’ll be slitting the throats of others in abattoirs and on green pastures.
As someone kindly pointed out in sarcasm, nobody died in the UFC fight. I guess that makes it alright then. I kid of course, it doesn’t make it right. Violence never has and never will evolve the human spirit towards the loftier ideals and the light.
In any event, nobody has died… yet. Boxing has piled up 43 deaths so far. UFC has only just begun when compared to boxing.